Radiofrequency ablation for chronic low back pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a procedure using heat to interrupt pain signals in spinal nerves, is an emerging treatment option for chronic low back pain. Its clinical efficacy has not yet been established.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of RFA for chronic low back pain associated with lumbar facet joints, sacroiliac joints, discogenic low back pain and the coccyx.

A health technology assessment of transient elastography in adult liver disease.

Background: An estimated one in 10 Canadians have some form of liver disease. The reference standard for staging and monitoring liver fibrosis is percutaneous liver biopsy--an invasive procedure associated with risks and complications. Transient elastography (TE) represents a noninvasive, ultrasound-based alternative.